On Friday, a district and sessions court in Islamabad acquitted former federal minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in a case concerning his accusations against President Asif Ali Zardari of plotting the assassination of former prime minister Imran Khan.
Judicial Magistrate Yasir Mehmood announced the reserved verdict.
Outside the courthouse, Sheikh Rashid expressed gratitude for the acquittal, crediting his legal team and supporters. Despite this legal victory, he mentioned he is still battling 14 terrorism charges, claiming his absence at the locations of the alleged incidents. He maintained his innocence and mentioned upcoming hearings in Moach, Lasbela, and Murree related to these charges.
Rashid also commented on Pakistan’s political landscape, critiquing the current government for inducing inflation and failing to protect farmers’ interests in securing produce prices. He suggested the need for an interim national government and criticised India’s cricket policies and actions in Kashmir and Manipur.
The verdict followed a session presided over by Civil Judge Yasir Mahmood, during which Rashid’s legal team argued for his acquittal. They pointed out procedural errors in how the FIR was filed and drew parallels to the Shahbaz Gill case, arguing that Rashid’s remarks involved a private individual rather than a public official.
The complaint that initiated this case came from Raja Inayat, a local leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), who claimed Rashid’s statements were defamatory and stirred unrest. The Islamabad police, based in the Aabpara precinct, subsequently registered the case under Pakistan Penal Code sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 153-A (promoting enmity), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).
Sheikh Rashid initially levied his allegations against former President Zardari on February 2, suggesting a conspiracy to murder Imran Khan. His arrest followed shortly, leading to the PPP’s complaint and legal actions.
